Seems That Every Time I Want To Read My Kindle Is Dead

First things first, the Kindle is a godsend to me when it comes to reading. Being visually impaired, there is no way I can read for entertainment a regular print book. Even large print ones can be tough, and there is not a good variety of large print available. Maybe I could look into the Free Library for the Blind if that is still a thing.

Not only is the selection poor with large print books, but they are also pricier.

My favorite kind I had was the paperwhite. That was the easiest to see for me and felt good in my hand. Back during the pandemic, I picked up a Kindle Oasis, and I even paid not to have the lock screen ads to save battery life.

There are a couple of things I am not crazy about with this Kindle. For one thing, the case, which is common for electronics, just feels too slippery. I have to hold it close to my face when I am lying in bed to read or on the couch. It feels like it wants to just slide.

It has reverse contrast available, but there seems to be something that makes it a little harder to see than my older Kindle.

The biggest issue I have with it is that the battery drains when I am not using it. It seems as if even if I let it sit for a few weeks when I am busy doing other stuff, the battery drains and needs to be charged to read. It takes a while to charge, so I end up not reading.

Unfortunately it takes a micro USB plug to charge, so I don’t have a cord always plugged in like I do with the USB-C cord. The thing that bothers me most about the difference between the plug types is the micro only goes in a certain way. Being visually impaired means I just go by feel, but I never get it right. With USB-C, it is not necessary.

It seems like almost all my devices use USB-C now. Everything except the Kindle and my Garmin watch, at least. That is just a minor annoyance, though. It takes seconds to plug a cord into the port on my monitor that is right here. The problem is when that is turned off, it’s not charging.

I am considering possibly upgrading to a newer Kindle or maybe a non-Amazon device as well. I will have to look into this.

Buying books on Amazon is convenient, but they are restrictive, and that stuff goes away once you stop using their ecosystem. I would appreciate it if I could find something that could talk to Amazon and easily get the books I have purchased. Without even looking into it, there is little doubt I am sure Amazon and their vertical monopoly ways would never allow that, or if they do make it so restrictive and complicated, it is not worth the trouble.

Something a bit bigger would be nice, I think. An ideal device would not have the microscopic UI text, but I am sure everything has that.

I have noticed that they have a Kindle that has a color screen. I wonder if that could be helpful to me.

In a perfect world I could go to the library or any book store online or off line and buy a physical book and be able to comfortably read it. That is obviously not happening, so using these e-readers is the next best option.

The battery in a good old-fashioned paper book would not go dead. It would last for decades and is yours to keep. Anything on the Kindle can be taken away at any time. One thing these services don’t make clear enough is that you are not actually buying it. You’re buying the rights to access it as long as they see fit, which is code for finding it profitable.

To kind of sit curled up on a chair or, better yet, a hammock outside with a good old-fashioned paper book would be so nice to do. It’s difficult to see the screen with the sun. Besides just he feel and smell of the paper just add so much to the reading. Love the smell of a seldom opened book from the library!

It is wonderful what technology can do to make things more accessible. It is a damned shame that so much of it is enshitified with the DRM garbage. I believe people should get paid for their works and time. I just think that I should be able to use it how and where I want after I purchase it.

For now I have the old one charging, but if I get into reading again, I will consider looking more deeply into upgrading or getting something different.

That concludes another probably incoherent Carl Rant™.